Blog Post | August 2025
CenterPoint Energy brings more early literacy resources to families in Texas!
A child’s book can launch a lifetime of learning. Thanks to a generous $100,000 gift, CenterPoint Energy is helping expand the Children’s Learning Institutes’ Reach Out and Read Texas program to bring early literacy resources to even more families.
Reach Out and Read State Medical Director, Kim K Cheung, MD, welcomed members of CenterPoint Energy’s Community Relations team to the UT Physicians Pediatrics clinic in the Texas Medical Center, celebrating their support for the program across Houston and East Texas.
At every wellness checkup from birth to age five, children receive a new book to take home. Medical providers talk with parents about the importance of reading aloud, using these moments to promote healthy development, strengthen family connections, and observe key milestones.
“When a parent reads with their child, they are building bonds and early literacy skills,” says Jocelyn McConnell, MEd, who leads the Reach Out and Read Texas affiliate. “Philanthropy provides training for medical providers and clinic staff, literacy materials for parents, and new books for children.”
The contribution by CenterPoint Energy is not only appreciated but is also impactful! Together, we’re creating more opportunities for children to thrive—one book, one checkup, one story at a time.
Pictured: Jennifer Bell, UT Physicians; June Deadrick, CenterPoint Energy and UTHealth Houston Development Board; Olivia Koch, CenterPoint Energy; Jocelyn McConnell, Reach Out and Read Texas at UTHealth Houston; Kim Cheung, MD, PhD, UTHealth Houston; Alicia Dixon, CenterPoint Energy; Gloria Bounds, CenterPoint Energy; Claudia Garcia, UT Physicians